The National Archives is restoring Estonia’s only known surviving feature film from the 1920s, and it will be included in the Association of European Cinematheques’ “A Season of Classic Films” 2025.

Tseka komissar Mirostsenko (Tšekaa komissar Miroštšenko), directed by Paul Sehnert in 1925, is the only surviving Estonian feature film from the first half of the 1920s.

“The story follows a group of Estonians in 1920 Soviet Russia, anxiously awaiting permission to relocate to the newly independent Republic of Estonia. At the center is Agnes, a young woman who unwittingly attracts the affections of three men: her compatriot Karl, the ferocious Cheka commissar Miroschtschenko, and the sinister agent Hewelyn,” the association said.

“Beyond its engaging plot, the film offers a rare glimpse into a pivotal chapter of Estonian history – the repatriation of the Estonian diaspora from Soviet Russia to Estonia, its independence established in 1918 and formally recognised by treaty in 1920. As depicted in the film, the repatriation process was often manipulated by the Cheka, the precursor to the KGB, with applications delayed or suppressed through bureaucracy and repression.” 

During the Soviet era, the film was shelved in the archive due to its politically undesirable content in that context.

“In addition to its gripping drama, the film offers a valuable glimpse into Estonia’s recent history. “Tseka komissar Mirostsenko” serves as a reminder of how painfully history can repeat itself—imperialist ambitions and the actions of repressive regimes have not disappeared in the modern day,” the Estonian Film Institute said.

This year, one hundred years after its premiere, the film will be digitized by the National Archives’ Film Archive in 6K resolution and restored in 4K resolution.

Audiences will have the chance to see the restored version accompanied by live music as part of the Black Nights Film Festival’s retrospective program.

The program is supported by the European Commission’s Creative Europe MEDIA initiative and aims to promote the preservation and accessibility of European film heritage, particularly by engaging younger audiences through free cinema screenings and online showings.

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